4-year-old boy killed by speeding car in Mumbai, teen driver arrested

A four-year-old boy was killed on Sunday after being hit by a car in Mumbai. The incident took place near Ambedkar College in the Wadala area. The teenage driver had remained at the site following the accident and was arrested by the police.

An official told PTI that the accident occurred while the 19-year-old was reversing the car. According to an NDTV report the victim and his family had had lived on the footpath.

“Prima facie, the driver was not under the influence of alcohol,” an official said.

The incident comes mere days after a BEST bus rammed into pedestrians and other vehicles in Mumbai — killing nine people and injuring 40 others. The bus collided with 30-40 vehicles over a 100-meter stretch before crashing into the RCC column of the Solomon Building and breaking its compound wall. The electric vehicle had been hired by the civic-run Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport undertaking on a wet-lease basis.

RTO officials suspect human error and lack of proper training for driving automatic transmission buses could be the reason behind the accident. Police said that medical tests had confirmed that the driver did not have any mental health issues. He was also not drunk at the time of the incident.

According to the BEST administration, the driver — identified as Sanjay More — had received three days training before he was allowed to drive the bus. He remains in police custody for alleged reckless driving and the Maharashtra Motor Vehicles department has also initiated the process of revoking his license.

“A bus which left from Kurla Station, its brake got failed and the driver lost control of the bus. The driver got scared and instead of pressing the brake, he pressed the accelerator and the speed of the bus increased. He couldn't control the bus and rammed into 30-35 people... people died, 4 people are in serious condition. The injured are being treated in Sion Hospital, Rajawadi Hospital and other private hospitals,” Shiv Sena MLA Dilip Lande had told reporters.

(With inputs from agencies)